Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Well this post marks a milestone, wait for it…..it is the very first time that I have ever used Blush Blossom cardstock. It has always been one of those neglected colours, left waiting forlornly for me to pull a sheet out of its plastic sleeve. But this week was the week to face my cardstock demons as I decided to combine challenges again. A lovely sketch this week from Makeesha Byl and a colour challenge (which of course included Blush Blossom) from the Just Add Ink team.

I struggled initially to come up with an idea for this card, I actually wanted to make a birthday card for my Mum, and while I did end up making a birthday card I’m not sure that is where it will go.

I started with a Blush Blossom base, stamped that with Polka Dots in Cameo Coral. The next layer was Cameo Coral, scalloped at the top, with some piercing detail, I also added some crimped Kraft to the base of that layer. The main panel is Blush Blossom layered on Close to Cocoa. I pierced around the Blush panel, then using post it notes masked the piercing off and rolled the Happy Happy Birthday wheel across the bottom in Cameo Coral. I added a little strip of crimped Kraft below that. Next I stamped the cupcake from Party Hearty in Cocoa on Kraft, and in Cameo Coral on Blush Blossom. I cut the Cameo top out and mounted it on dimensionals above the Kraft one. The cupcake was SNAILed down in the middle after stamping three candles, inked up using Cocoa and Cameo markers. Two way glue and a coat of Dazzling diamonds finish off the cupcake. The last touch was some Kraft taffeta ribbon, I added Cameo coloured dots using an R24 Copic marker, then tied it in a bow adding a pinkish button threaded with a sliver of Kraft cardstock that I curled the ends of. The inside was finished off simply to match.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I tried to find the time this week to squeeze in writing up another post. This time for one of the cards I made for a recent workshop. The hostess asked for cards for tween boys – I figured that meant from about 10 to 14 years old may’be. Ironically this is the latest of the cards I’ve made with sweet treats but the first one I’ve managed to post! Here’s the card.

I used Pumpkin Pie as the base cut A frame, then layered it with Basic Black, then Whisper White, stamped with Sanded in Pumpkin Pie. I figured the scratchy distressed look wasn’t a bad match for spiderweb. The sweet treat cup of course is the spiders body. Punching the centred, 1 ¾ circle as far up into the bottom of the white and black layers left just enough room to add in spidey’s head. Made using a circle and oval punches (for his mouth), and of course the goggly eyes. His legs we done in a flash using the photo corner punch, borrowed from my lovely friend and upline Sam – thanks Sam. To make the web he is dangling from I used the scallop border punch – it is a bit fiddly but as long as your starting strip of cardstock is thin enough (I used 5/8 of an inch) and you offset the second side you end up with ric rac.

To access the goodies inside, I made a little trap door accessable from the inside of the card – all in Pumpkin Pie so it blends in. The inside was decorated with another spider using punches again.

He was lots of fun to make and all the ladies loved him and the choc orange lollies inside – not sure how many of those would have made to a “tween” though ;).

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I have managed to combine two challenges again this week. The inspiration picture that Makeesha Byl set as the challenge start point was perfect for the next Mother’s day card I had to make, and I really liked the sketch the Just Add Ink team set for their challenge this week. See the inspiration pic and the sketch below.

The key things that struck me about the Makeesha’s inspiration pic was the brightness of it, the purple tones, the light green and that shot of black. I knew I wanted to use some sort of striking flower/tree image – and as it turns out I had the perfect one. But to make it work I had to turn the sketch on it side, but I reckon it works quite well that way too !

To highlight the brightness I decided to stamp the tree canopy in versamark on Always Amethyst then emboss with white embossing powder. To inject that shot of black I then stamped the tree trunk in Basic Black. To give the tree some more depth I sponged some Lovely Lilac onto the centre of the tree, and then used Always Amethyst more towards the edges. I then wiped the purple inks off the embossed leaves – so a bitof emboss resist really. To finish that panel I “earthed” the tree by stamping with a strip of tiny text in Always Amethyst. Then I matted the panel onto Certainly Celery and then Lovely Lilac. I used my Apron Lace border punch on the right hand side of the Lilac layer. For the base of the card I decided to use white as I wanted to accent the brightness, rolling it with a lovely leafy wheel pattern in Certainly Celery. The final touches were a couple of purple buttons (threaded with white cotton) in the upper right, as per the sketch, and the sentiment (which I had to rotate). I stamped that in Lovely Lilac and accented it with a large purple toned button threaded with white embroidery cotton tied in a bow. The inside was simply finished off to match the outside.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Hi there all,well this is a surprise - I had pretty much decided to not to do a challenge this week, and may'be post one of the cards from my workshop last weekend. It was a combo of just plain tired out from late nights stamping plus just on the night when I was planning on catching up on my sleep Mr Two came down with somethng nasty. Thankfully he is now on the mend and I finally got some sleep last night. With some sleep returned my mojo and urge to stamp. I liked the colour combo for Makeesha Byl's challenge (hosted by Chantelle this week)

and I had a new set that tickles my funny bone, I wanted to ink up - so I decided to cave in while Mr Two was having his nap today (only 40 mins long the little devil) - but it was just enough time. I needed an anniversary card to give to my hubby in a couple of weeks and this is the result.

I started with a Choc Chip base cut A frame but then turned it onto its side. Then cut a white mat for it and picked two DSP patterns (from the long retired Loves Me pack). The Regal Rose pattern was layered onto the LHS and the Teal pattern on RHS. I stamped two lounge chairs one onto each of the two DSP patterns and also a cushion. I trimmed them out and mounted them onto a panel of Whisper White, onto which I had already stamped the two chairs. I added the cushions colours reversed, a little chocolate brad for each. Stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip above the chairs and mounted the whole panel on a Chocolate Chip mat and then dimensionals. The last touch was a strip of knotted wide Choc Chip grosgrain ribbon running underneath the image panel. I haven't finished the inside yet - Mr Two woke up!! but have it all planned in my head, something simple and not too girly since it is for my hubby. I was very happy with the result not sure if hubby will find it funny or if he will be horrified that it signifies oncoming old age (lounge chairs for an anniversary card ?)- perhaps you can tell me if you think its appropriately "romantic" or not?Thanks for visiting,Kim

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Sorry for the lack of post last week – I wish I could say I had been laying in the sun relaxing – which I wasn’t and I would only have gotten sunburnt if I had –so it’s just as well;) Since Makeesha Byl extended her last challenge deadline I decided to concentrate on the cards I was making for an upcoming workshop. The hostess, an old friend from my Miss 5’s playgroup asked for cards for tween boys, which I have interpreted as about 10ish to 14 may’be? I finally got some designs worked out but not before a comment on my first effort from my DH along the lines of “for a boy? – you’ve got to be joking!”

Today’s card is not for a tween boy! Since I’m still pressed for time I decided to try and combine two Aussie based challenges. First a sketch challenge from Makeesha Byl and a colour challenge from the Just Add Ink ladies. Details for both are below.

The bold colours weren’t too scary as I have been using a lot of Pink Passion plus Turquoise or Green Galore for my daughters age group already – although adding the Saffron in took some thought. The inclusion of Pink Passion in the colour palette definitely meant I was heading for a girl card. To get some inspiration I flicked through my stamp folder (I photocopy the labels sheets for all my stamps before I mount them and put them in a little ring binder – a fantastic idea I picked up a few years ago from Tracy Harp) and found the perfect stamp – and here’s the result.

I started with a Pink Passion base, layered that with Tempting Turquoise and then Whisper White that I had stamped with Polka Dots in Pink Passion. (I wanted to balance all the strong colours with lots of white). The central panel features a paper pieced cupcake, with a So Saffron button and hot pink rhinestone as its finishing touch – oh and glitter of course on all the little dots on the pink cupcake top. Some hot pink taffeta ribbon tied in a knot and the sentiment stamped in Turquoise finish off the panel. Like the base it was matted on Turquoise and Pink Passion. Some more texture and bling are added to the card with a horizontal border of Turquoise layered with scalloped and crimped Green Galore and then a lovely band of glitter. Up in the top right are two punched Saffron flowers finished off with large pink rhinestones.

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My name is Kim, I have been stamping and scrapbooking since 2006. I'm married to a great guy and have two lovely children, Miss 12 and Mr 9. We also share our house with two burmese cats. I joined Stampin' Up! as an Independent Demonstrator in May 2009.